COMS207-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025

Social Media

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 14 July 2025
End Date: Sunday, 9 November 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 27 July 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 28 September 2025

Description

This course contains practical work in the community and groupwork. The course prepares students to do public communication in a rapidly changing media environment. The first half of the course explores how a range of social media platforms work and how professional communicators are attempting to use it. Topics include networks, online community, social media analytics and social media campaigns. In the second half of the course students apply these ideas in small-group projects for a community organisation or company. This course is available only to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Communication.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course you should be able to
- describe trends and practices in public social media communication
- understand and apply key concepts of digital media studies
- discuss arguments around the impact of digital media on public organisations
- combine theory and practical work
- apply academic arguments through analysis of media texts
- develop writing, group work, oral presentation and discovery learning skills

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

Employable, innovative and enterprising

Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

Engaged with the community

Students will have observed and understood a culture within a community by reflecting on their own performance and experiences within that community.

Prerequisites

15 points COMS or 60 points BC Schedule V. Subject to approval by the Head of Department.

Restrictions

COMS222 (2008-2012), DIGI207

Equivalent Courses

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 13:00 - 14:00 Rehua 009
14 Jul - 17 Aug
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 09:00 - 11:00 Rehua 005
14 Jul - 17 Aug
Presentation A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Tuesday 15:00 - 17:00 Rehua 009
18 Aug - 24 Aug
Presentation B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 09:00 - 11:00 Rehua 009
18 Aug - 24 Aug
Presentation C
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Thursday 12:00 - 14:00 Rehua 009
13 Oct - 19 Oct
Presentation D
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 14:00 - 16:00 E5 Lecture Theatre
13 Oct - 19 Oct
Workshop A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 15:00 - 17:00 Rehua 009
8 Sep - 12 Oct

Lecturer

Donald Matheson

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Scoping Analysis 15 Aug 2025 25% analyse your partner’s social media
Presentation 10% Short group presentation, in class 19 or 20 Aug 2025
Participation 25% Participation in the workforce based on tutor meetings and feedback
Final outpout for partner 22 Oct 2025 20%
presentation 5% Final group presentation, in class 19 or 20 Oct 2025
Reflection 29 Oct 2025 15%

Notes

This course is available only to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Communication or in the following Bachelor of Arts specialisations: Creative Industries and Contemporary Practice; Society, Diversity and Change.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $894.00

International fee $4,100.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All COMS207 Occurrences

  • COMS207-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025